Valkyrie Smash

Simon instructed his subordinates then went to take down more of the gunmen. His luck ran out soon after as those who remained became more vigilant, most likely because word of what happened to their comrades had reached them. Because of that, he was forced to slow down a little and that let to his stress building up as more and more children were being taken away.

Contrary to his expectations, whatever operation those gunmen were involved in, it wasn't a small one. Their main goal appeared to be kidnapping young children. They seemed to have detailed intelligence on the residents of the old city and were going after those who had kids younger than fifteen.

The parents who tried to stop them were killed with no questions asked. The kids then got taken to a single retrieval location where more gunmen waited around a bunch of trucks where the kidnapped children were being kept.

The trucks weren't your average everyday vehicles either. For one, they had much better armor than anything normal civilians could get their hands on, but more importantly, none of them seemed to have wheels. Simon had planned on poking holes in the tires to stop them from running away but was forced to think of something else.

Simon considered going back to try and stop them from taking any more children, but he knew that would only lead to the worst outcome possible. He couldn't risk those at the retrieval point escaping when they realized no more of their accomplices would return.

after observing them for a while, he retreated and regrouped with the rest of his gang.

"Boss, we have done as you told us." One of them said, looking down at a pile of clothes and weapons stripped from the gunmen he had killed.

Simon was quick to notice his grim expression, but he didn't think it came from taking clothes off dead bodies.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"They got Mark and Randy." The gangster replied.

Simon's eyes widened for a moment and anger took over right after. He said nothing and forced himself to calm down and went down to pick some of the clothes.

"Let's save the kids first." He said.

Mourning the dead comes after avenging them, and they could only do that after stopping the kidnapping. Simon gave more instructions then took off his clothes and put on those who belonged to one of the kidnappers. Another one of his subordinates did the same.

They made their way toward the retrieval point. Along the way, Simon fired some shots in the air to make it seem like there was fighting going on. The gunmen guarding the trucks were confused to see two of their comrades, both injured and bleeding, one leaning on the other while firing at the alley they emerged from.

Several shots came from the alley as well signaling that someone was chasing after them.

Two of the guards rushed past the injured ones and went to take care of their pursuers. Four remained to guard the trucks, but only one of them went to help the wounded. The others remained on guard the whole time as if they noticed something was off.

"Hey! How did you end up li-"

His words were cut short when the shooting suddenly intensified. The two that went to take care of the troublemakers found themselves facing a storm of bullets that turned them into Swiss cheese and those who saw it happen were taken off guard.

The terrible seen caused the guards to flinch and that bought Simon the moment he needed. Letting go of his subordinate, he kicked the ground and closed the distance between him and one of the guards, leaving him no time to react to the knife heading for his neck.

The remaining three turned their guns toward him but Simon used the body of the first one as a shield, pushing toward the second and slashing his neck.

The kids in the trucks cried at the sound of gunfire. Simon dropped his meatshield and took cover behind one of the trucks. The remaining kidnappers chased after him, clearly having forgotten about the other guy who came with him. The gangster fired his rifle while doing his best to aim at their legs.

The kidnappers were stunned for a moment, but before they could snap out of it one of them took a boot to the face and his head spun in an unnatural direction. The second one tried to react, but by the time he raised his gun, a blade had already passed through his neck drawing a red arc with his blood.

"That was the last of them," Simon said. "Go check the driver seat."

The gangster went to do as he said while Simon approached the rear doors. He waited for a couple of seconds and reached for the handle, but the moment he touched it the doors swung open slamming him back and he fell on the ground. One more gunman appeared from the cargo hold, this one armed with a shotgun which he aimed at Simon the moment he jumped down from the truck.

The last one was more troublesome than the others, seeing that he waited inside while his accomplices were being slaughtered. He walked confidently toward the collapsed Simon and took out the handgun strapped to his side. Instead of shooting at him he turned to the left and aimed at the gangster who had just returned, shooting him multiple times before he could even react.

Seeing him collapse, he turned to the other one on the ground and prepared his shotgun.

"Guess the folks around here aren't all pushovers," The kidnapper said. "Don't take it personally. We're just doing our job."

"You aren't… very smart, are you?" Simon said. "You think the Resistance will let you go?"

"If you were so sure then you shouldn't have tried to stop us. Well, I'm getting paid as long as the trucks make it back. What happ-"

Blood splattered and the kidnapper fell to the ground. Simon pushed the corpse off of him and removed his mask. He had just survived a very bad situation, but the look on his face showed he wasn't that pleased.

"I see your skills haven't dulled." Came a feminine voice.

"Same for you." Simon replied. "Your steps are as quiet as ever."

The one who had just saved him wasn't someone he had expected to see, or rather, he wished they wouldn't meet. Sara checked her ammunition and adjusted the gun in her hand. A long silencer extended from its barrel, which explained the lack of sound when she fired it just now.

The reporter was strangely calm as she lighted a cigarette. Simon was tempted to do the same, but he chose not to. Smoking could wait until his job.

There were two more kidnappers hiding in the remaining trucks. One of them tried to drive off but was shot in the head by Sara. The other took one of the children and suffered the same fate.

Once all the kidnappers were taken care of, Simon called for his subordinates and tasked them with taking care of the children. The one who helped him get close to the trucks was safe as well thanks to the bulletproof vests they stole from the gunmen.

Simon was about to approach Sara intending to discuss what was happening with her, but at that moment one of the gangsters came running to him with a phone, a disturbed look on his face.

"Boss! It's Antony!" He shouted. "They got him and his wife!!!"